Biomass Thermal Energy Council Praises Congressional Biomass Caucus Formation, Calls for Additional House MembersU.S. House of Representatives members Charlie Bass (R-NH2) and Peter Welch (D-VT) to co-chair new bipartisan caucus

Washington, DC – July 14, 2011 - The Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) today applauded the formation of the first Congressional Biomass Caucus. Led by Representatives Charlie Bass (R-NH2) and Peter Welch (D-VT), this coalition will seek to support the development of biomass and elevate the renewable resource’s profile in Congress.

“We strongly support the creation of the Biomass Caucus and commend the leadership of Rep. Bass and Rep. Welch, as we believe the caucus will become a venue for Members of Congress to discover the role biomass can play in meeting the nation’s goals of job creation and energy independence,” said Joseph Seymour, Acting BTEC Executive Director. “With thermal energy representing roughly one-third of our country’s energy consumption, utilizing biomass for heating and combined heat and power applications makes sense for displacing fossil fuels and boosting rural economies.”

Yesterday, Reps. Bass and Welch began circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter encouraging other Members of Congress to join the caucus.

“Biomass thermal advocates from all scales, regions, and feedstocks should reach out to their elected representatives in the House and encourage them to join this caucus,” said Seymour. “Not long ago, biomass thermal was essentially unknown in Congress, but today, with the formation of the caucus and the continued work of BTEC and other allied groups, we can continue to support the growth of our industry and its millions of residential, commercial, and industrial end users.”

For more information on encouraging your Member of Congress to join the caucus, visit www.house.gov and use the “Find Your Representative” search function on the upper right corner of the homepage. Members of Congress who are interested in learning more about the caucus are encouraged to contact Lucy McFadden in Congressman Bass’s office or Mary Sprayregen in Congressman Welch’s office.

###

About the Biomass Thermal Energy Council
The Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) is an association of biomass fuel producers, appliance manufacturers and distributors, supply chain companies and non-profit organizations that view biomass thermal energy as a renewable, responsible, clean and energy-efficient pathway to meeting America’s energy needs. BTEC engages in research, education, and public advocacy for the fast growing biomass thermal energy industry. For more information, visit www.biomassthermal.org.